Leaders from across the Northern Territory social services sector say that today’s NT Budget is a
missed opportunity to provide meaningful relief to Territorians.
NTCOSS CEO Sally Sievers said that after a year of crisis and skyrocketing cost of living the
government had the chance to deliver a budget that improved the quality of life in the NT and
supported frontline services sustainably.
“The Treasurer and Chief Minister have said that this is a budget for everyday Territorians, that
targets the root causes of crime.”
“The everyday Territorian is struggling to find affordable housing, worried about a health system at
breaking point and wanting to see families connecting with the supports that allow them to thrive.”
“Frontline services on the ground across the NT provided fully costed and sustainable
recommendations that would improve the Territory quality of life. The Government needs to listen to
those who are working directly with Territorians, to understand the areas of greatest need.”
Sector analysis on today’s budget found key shortcomings in relation to housing, early supports for
children and families, education, healthcare, mental health and Alcohol and other drugs, youth
services, and addressing the domestic family and sexual violence crisis.
Key recommendations from NTCOSS’ Pre-Budget Submission that have not made it into this year’s
budget include:
- Making the NT Concessions Scheme benefits easier to access for eligible Territorians, and
extending eligibility to all Services Australia Health Care Card holders. - Pilot a two-year Universal School Breakfast & Lunch Program across 15 primary schools to
improve attendance and school outcomes. - Investment in disability and mental health advocacy services.
- Funding for transitional housing to support victim-survivors fleeing violence.
NTCOSS Chair Jayne Lloyd OAM said: “By making modest investments that provide targeted relief we
can actually help people meet their basic needs.”
“Connecting kids with education, supporting people living with disability and helping those affected
by domestic, family and sexual violence will benefit the whole Northern Territory.”
“Now is the time for smart, long-term responses from government to address the root causes of
poverty and economic exclusion”
Sector Quotes:
Justice:
“Government is absolutely right to speak about reducing the root causes of crime, but with its
second budget we are not seeing this.
We are seeing rehabilitation investment in jail but nowhere near enough in the community. It’s about
keeping kids in school, more youth engagement programs around the regions, like the Shak in
Darwin, and investing in youth transitional housing models.
We are doing a little bit of these things but we need to do a lot more if we are serious about seeing
kids and families thrive rather than making a pathway to jail.”
Craig Kelly, CEO, Anglicare
Housing:
“Investment in social housing reduces costs across justice, health and policing systems. In this
Budget, we would have liked to see a real increase in investment in social housing, not incremental
change, but a shift in supply that matches the scale of need. If you don’t invest in housing now, you
will continue to invest in crime later. That’s not a social argument it’s a fiscal one.”
Annie Taylor, CEO, NT Shelter
Children and Families
“It is positive to see funding towards thriving kids and foundational supports, but Government needs
to ensure that it is working alongside the sector on the ground to ensure these services are
effectively targeted.”
Rachael Bowkers, CEO, Darwin Community Legal Services
Social Services
NTCOSS has also raised concerns that critical supports for a sustainable social services sector had
been omitted from the 2026 budget.
The Northern Territory applies an efficiency dividend (known as the budget repair measure) that
reduces organisation budgets each year in anticipation of efficiencies being found in operational
costs. Ms Sievers said that this dividend puts undue pressure on organisations already running on
razor-thin margins.
“Efficiency dividends on sector grant funding are a blunt tool that significantly hinder our members’
ability to help the growing number of Territorians in need.”
“At a time when we are already facing down crisis after crisis, is a missed opportunity for the NT
Government to not remove efficiency dividends on the sector, in line with what the Federal
Government has already done.”
“In real terms, our frontline services are running on less funding than 2018 levels. This NT Budget
fails to address the need for higher funding or adjusted grant indexation, if our critical social services
are expected to continue meeting the needs of disadvantaged Territorians.”
Sally Sievers, CEO, NTCOSS
Media Contact: James Cameron 0412 611 695